Conveyer for newspapers or the like



Dec. 30, 1941. H. H. RAPLEY CONVEYER FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 51, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 III/I/l/m Mm "m 8 1941- H. H. RAPLEY CONVEYER FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 51, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet Mmimk W Dec. 30, 1941. H. H. RAPLEY CONVEYER FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 51, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFER CONVEYER FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE Harold Herbert Rapley, Bedford, England 13 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyers for news papers or other like articles.

The object of the invention is the provision of an-improved conveyer of this character whereby two distinct streams may be conveyed from one region to another by the use of a relatively small amount of conveyer belting. The invention may for example be applied to an arrangement in which it is desired to convey distinct streams from two delivery points of a press (say on opposite sides of the press) to two delivery tables in another room.

The invention consists broadly in the arrangement that the two streams are incorporated in a composite stream which is conveyed by a common conveyer and is subsequently separated into its component streams.

In this way the two streams may both be conveyed a considerable distance, throughout the greater part of which only the one set of conveyer belts is required.

In order that the invention may be the more clearly understood a conveyer in accordance therewith will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a whole conveyer for conveying distinct streams of newspapers from two delivery points of a press to two respective delivery tables in another room.

Figure 2 is a similar view, to a larger scale, illustrating the part of said conveyer at which the composite stream is separated into its component streams.

Figure 3 is a View of a portion of Figure 2 showing the composite stream in process of separation into its component streams.

Figure 4 is a similar View to Figure 3 of a modified arrangement the composite stream also being shown in process of separation into its component streams.

Referring to Figure 1, two streams I and 2 of newspapers are delivered from a press 3 at two different points and are conveyed to two respective delivery tables 4 and 5 in another room. To this end said two streams I and 2 are first conveyed by two different conveyers to a point B relatively close to the press 3 where they are brought together to form a single composite stream, and this composite stream is conveyed by common conveyer belting to a point 1 relatively close to the delivery tables 4 and 5 where it is separated into its component streams which are conveyed by separate c'onveyers to said respective delivery tables 4 and 5. In this way it will be seen that, over the major part of the distance from the press 3 to the delivery tables 4 and 5, common conveyer belting is used for both streams, and thus considerable, economy in belting, is achieved.

The two streams, while forming the composite stream, are disposed back to back-that is with the front pages of said two streams facing out-.

impinges, said separator element having an acute angled edge (forming the said point '7) which faces the stream in the centre line thereof. The two sides of said separator element 8 diverge from said edge 1 at an angle which increases as shown.

The newspapers of each stream are of course in imbricated relation and they are arranged so that the outside ends, that is those at the outside of the composite stream, are towards the direction of movement, and the inside ends, that is those which are at the plane of division between the component streams, are away from the direction of movement. Thus, once the separator element 8- has come between the component streams, the latter must continue to separate one each side of said separator element so long as their continuity lasts. Moreover, if at the commencement, the edge I of the separator element 8 does not immediately find the plane of division between the two streams, said edge is certain, after the first two or three pairs of papers have passed it, without separating, on one side or the other, to come between an adjacent pair of said outside ends, and thus to be guided into the said plane of division between the streams, after which, as stated, it must without fail separate the papers correctly into their original streams. The first two or three papers which may be diverted into the wrong stream when starting up do not give rise to any great inconvenience. Figure 3 shows the position when two papers of the right hand component stream have incorrectly gone to the left and the edge I has come between the outside edges of the second and third papers of said right hand stream.

The component streams after being separated are each guided away from the other at an angle as shown, first between the respective side of the separator element 8 and aconveyer belt 9, and, when they reach the upper end of said separator element, between said conveyer belt 9 and a separating belt [0. When each stream reaches the end of the conveyer belt 9, it is turned sharply outwards, more or less at right angles by further conveyer belting so that the two streams now run at an angle downwardly and away from one another as shown in Figure 1. Finally the two streams slide downwardly over guide plates II or other means on to respective horizontal conveyers 12 running directly away from each other whereby they are delivered to their respective delivery tables 4 and 5.

The two separating belts I run over coaxial pulleys I3 of equal diameter on a common spindle located centrally just above the separator element 8. The two conveyer belts 9 are the same conveyer belts between which the composite stream is carried upwards to the point 1 of engagement with the separator element 8. The two conveyer pulleys I4 over which said conveyer belts 9 run just before the composite stream engages the separator element 8 are biased towards one another so that said composite stream is gripped firmly at this region. Also two additional pulleys l5 are provided over which the belts 9 run shortly after the separated component streams leave the separator element 8 and which are likewise biased towards one another to ensure that the belts 9 are pressed firmly towards the belts In. To this end the pulleys M and IS on one side are mounted on a bracket I6 and the pulleys l4 and on the other side are mounted on a similar bracket l1 and the two brackets, which are pivotally mounted at a common point l8, are biased towards one another by means of a spring 19.

The separator element 8 is mounted so that it can be adjusted both vertically, to the most suitable position to suit the particular thickness of newspaper being employed, and pivotally to one side or the other so that when only one single stream is being conveyed upwardly it can be diverted to one side or the other so as to be delivered at will, at one or other delivery table. To this end said separator element 8 is mounted by suitable screw means in a vertical slot in a supporting plate 2|. By loosening the screw means, said separator element 8 can be either adjusted up and down the slot 28 or pivoted from side to side as stated.

The bringing together of the two streams at the point 6 to form the composite stream may be effected in accordance with British Patent No. 349,258.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the composite stream, after being constituted at said point 6, is turned vertically upwards into a vertical conveyer section 22, then horizontally into a horizontal conveyer section 23, and finally vertically again into the vertical conveyer section 24 which conveys said composite stream to the point 1. The cornering arrangements 25, 26 and 2'! by which the composite stream is turned into said respective conveyer sections may be in accordance with British Patent No. 463,264.

It will be appreciated that, as will be well understood by those skilled in this art, the belts employed are actually composite belts each consisting of a plurality of component wire belts and that the pulleys consist each of a number of component pulleys over which the component belts run.

Other structural details are deemed sufficiently clear from the drawings.

It will be appreciated that the composite stream, instead of moving vertically upwards when approaching the separator element 8, may move vertically downwards or indeed in any 1ther direction. Also, the delivery tables 4 and 5 instead of being back to back on the same floor may be on different floors, and the two component streams need not originate from the same press.

As stated the two streams forming the composite stream must be back to back. When being conveyed horizontally, what is known as the direct stream must be on top, the indirect stream being underneath.

I have found that, the composite stream will, in many cases, be separated quite satisfactorily if the separator element 8 is entirely removed.

7 Indeed, when the conveyer is handling thick newspapers I find that the separation is even more satisfactory when said separator element is omitted as there is less likelihood of a jam taking place. In the case when said separator element is omitted, the composite stream will impinge against the separating belts I0 running in opposite direction around the pulleys [3. The papers of each component stream will be arranged as heretofore described with their outside ends towards the direction of movement, and their inside ends away from the direction of movement, and, if both component streams should, for example, start by going to the left, the forward edge of a paper of the right hand component stream (which will be on the right hand side), is certain, after one or two papers have passed the wrong way, to be engaged by the right hand belt and conveyed to the right. Thereafter, the whole of said right hand composite stream will necessarily follow to the right, and, as in the preceding case, the separating means (now constituted by the separating belts l0) will come between. the component streams and the separation must continue correctly until the continuity of the stream is interrupted. The fact that one or two of the leading papers of each stream may go in the wrong direction is not, as heretofore stated, of any great consequence. In this connection it should be noted that, for the first several papers of a component stream, the forward edges will be successively further from the plane of division between the component streams so that each will be more likely than the preceding to be engaged by its proper belt. Figure 4 illustrates this and shows the position when only one paper of the right hand stream has incorrectly gone to the left, and the forward end of the second paper of the right hand stream has then been engaged by the right hand belt I0 and conveyed to the right.

When the separator element 8 is not employed, it is desirable that the angle between the separating belts III as they leave the pulleys I3 should not be too obtuse. It is also of some importance that the distance between the face of the pulleys i3 and the point of separation of the belts 9 should not be too great.

It is possible, with the separator element omitted, to effect separation satisfactorily when the composite stream is fed downwardly as well as when it is fed upwardly, but difiiculty might be experienced if the composite stream was fed horizontally to be separated into upwardly and downwardly forking paths, as, in that case, gravity would bias both component streams towards the lower path.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one conveyer comprising a single pair of opposed endless belts delivering at a given point to at least two others components of a composite single stream of articles, thus forming at least two separate streams, the composite stream being of a width substantially the same as that of a single article, and the components of said composite stream consisting of at least two series of reversely imbricated articles wherein the ends of the articles at the outside of each series are toward the direction of movement thereof.

2. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like. comprising a plurality of conveyers, one conveyer comprising a single pair of opposed endless belts delivering at a given point to at least two others components of a composite single stream of articles, thus forming at least two separate streams, the composite stream being of a width substantially the same as that of a single article, and comprising also means controlling forming of the composite stream to render it inherently readily divisible into the ultimate separate streams, said last mentioned means including means for forming at least two series of reversely imbricated articles wherein the ends of the articles at the outside of each series are toward the direction of movement thereof.

3. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others at a given point, and further comprising at such given point means for separating for supply to the latter conveyers respectively components of a composite single stream of articles conveyed by the first mentioned conveyer, the composite stream having its aforementioned components in contact one with another and inherently readily separable.

4. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others at a given point, and further comprising at such given point means for separating for supply to the latter conveyers respectively components of a composite single stream of articles conveyed by the first mentioned conveyer, each aforementioned component of the composite stream having its articles imbricated.

5. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others at a given point, and further comprising at such given point means for separating for supply to the latter conveyers respectively components of a composite single stream of articles conveyed. by the first mentioned conveyer, the aforementioned components of the composite stream having their respective articles imbricated in a relation such that upon initial separation of such components the following portions thereof naturally take the separate paths.

6. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one conveyer comprising a single pair of opposed endless belts delivering to two others components of a composite stream of articles positioned between said pair of belts, such components consisting of two series of articles arranged in a reversely imbricated relation wherein the ends of the articles at the outside of said stream are toward the direction of movement of the latter.

'7. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one conveyer comprising a single pair of opposed endless belts delivering to at least two others components of a composite stream of articles positioned between said pair of belts, and also comprising conveyers supplying as components of said composite stream and in a reversely imbricated back-to-back relation separate streams of articles, whereby the forward edges of all of said articles are located at the outside of the composite stream.

8. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite single stream of articles having a nat ural plane of division for such components, and comprising also a stationary separator having an edge in the path of the composite stream and approximately in the aforementioned plane of division of the components.

9. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite single stream of articles having a natural plane or division for such components, and comprising also a stationary separator having an edge in the path of the composite stream and approximately in the aforementioned plane of division of the components, said separator being adjustable.

10. A conveyer system for newspapers and the like, comprising a plurality of conveyers, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite stream of articles, and comprising also separating means against which the composite stream impinges, said separating means including belts running in difierent directions from the region of impingement of the separating means by the composite stream and said belts having coaxial pulleys in said region.

11. In a conveyer system for newspapers and the like, in combination a plurality of conveyers of the belt type, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite stream of articles, separator means against which the composite stream impinges, said separator means comprising belts extending into cooperative relation with belts of the first mentioned conveyer and biased pulleys biasing the latter belts toward said separator belts.

12. In a conveyer system for newspapers and the like, in combination a plurality of conveyors of the belt type, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite stream of articles, the first mentioned conveyer having at its delivery end two sets of belt pulleys, which sets are respectively carried by supporting brackets biased toward one another, and separating means for the components of the composite stream, which separating means includes a part disposed between the end pulleys of said sets of pulleys whereby the bias of the latter biases both toward the separating means.

13. In a conveyer system for newspapers and the like, in combination a plurality of conveyers of the belt type, one delivering to at least two others components of a composite stream of articles, the first mentioned conveyer having at its delivery end two sets of belt pulleys, which sets are respectively carried by supporting brackets biased toward one another, and separating means for the components of the cornposite stream, which separating means comprises oppositely running sets of belts passing over concentric pulleys arranged between said sets of pulleys for the belts of the first mentioned conveyer, the latter belts through the bias of said sets of rollers being biased in one direction or the other toward correspondingly running belts of the separating means.

HAROLD HERBERT RAPLEY. 

